When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to shapeshifting car mechanic Mercy Thompson to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. And she'll have to choose between the two werewolves in her life-whether she wants to or not.

MY REVIEW:It’s been far too long since I’ve been in Mercy Thompson’s world! The third installment of this series brings the love triangle between Adam, Samuel, and Mercy to a head and Mercy must choose between the two alphas.

Mercy’s former boss and iron-kissed fae, Zee, asks her to snoop around the Umatilla Fae Reservation to see if her keen sense of smell can reveal the identity of the one responsible for a recent rash of fae killings. When Zee is found crouched over one of the victims, he is arrested. Mercy knows that Zee is innocent, but the only way that she can prove it is to put herself in danger and be forewarned that she becomes the victim of rape. As difficult and as upsetting as it was for Mercy to be subjected to that, I love how Briggs handled the aftermath. One of Adam’s packmates, Ben, was the only one who really understood what Mercy was going through as a victim of abuse himself. He put things into perspective for Adam and tuned him into what was going on with Mercy and gave her emotions a voice that she couldn’t put into words herself. I absolutely love Ben for that!! I love the way that Warren comforted and took care of Mercy and how Adam didn’t trust anyone else but Warren to do it. Adam’s pack really came through for Mercy, and it brought unity to them. I am not surprised by the decision that Mercy made between Adam and Samuel, and the timing felt right.

This was my favourite book in the series thus far. However, one of my favourite characters, Stefan, was sorely missed in this installment! Hopefully, we’ll see him back in the next one in the series, Bone Crossed.Memorable quote:

“Some people are like Slinkies. They aren't really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to my face when I push them down a flight of stairs.”

Lorelei King continues to be the narrator for this series, and I’m pleased as punch about that! I love the vocalizations she gave each of the characters, and they have been consistent throughout the first three books in the series. Here's a sample of the narration:

MY RATING:

5 stars!! It was superb and I will likely re-read it in the future. You should definitely put it on your TBR list if you enjoy urban fantasy!